Bad Blood
by Lady Dudley
Summary: S6 AU/Prompt Fill for aqueenandhergiantidiot: After Eric leaves, Pam falls dangerously under the influence of someone from her past.
1. Prologue

**A/N: So, an embarrassingly long time ago, aqueenandhergiantidiot** **sent me an angst!Paric prompt and this is the result. I have pretty well finished writing it, but will post it in bits and pieces to give me a bit more time to finish it and (possibly) incorporate suggestions. Basically this is an AU from the end of S6 - there is no Tara or Willa and, as per the prompt, Eric left with Sookie. It also has tie-ins with my story "Secrets" which you don't have to have read, but it might help if you do. This is also loosely based on the song "Way Back Into Love" and "Bad Blood" but I decided to go with "Bad Blood" as the title.** ** **Huge thank you to excusemeb who read over the chapters for me to make sure it all made sense -** hope you enjoy it! x  
**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 _ **Bad Blood**_

 _ **Prologue**_

...  
 _Did you think we'd be fine? Still got scars on my back from your knife_  
 _So don't think it's in the past, these kinda wounds they last and they last._  
 _now did you think it all through? All these things will catch up to you_  
 _And time can heal but this won't, so if you're coming my way, just don't_

 _'Cause, baby, now we got bad blood_  
 _You know it used to be mad love_  
 _So take a look what you've done_  
 _'Cause, baby, now we got bad blood_  
-'Bad Blood,' Taylor Swift  
...

She smelt him before she saw him.

The odd mixture of death and illness made her want to run, but there was something else, something oddly comforting and familiar that kept her rooted to the spot.

She turned slowly and braced herself for whatever was coming.

Slowly, painfully the figure came into view.

She couldn't help the gasp that escaped as she recognised him.

He gave her the crooked smile that had first made her fall n love with him, "Pam," he breathed, making her name sound like an answer to prayer.

His strength failed him and he dropped to his knees, she rushed to catch him before he could fall any further.

He looked up at her with bleary eyes, "I'm so glad I found you," he murmured, allowing his head to loll onto her shoulder as she cradled him in her arms, "I've missed you…"


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: And now the story...**

Frustrated, Jessica pushed her way through the crowd, snarling at the odd human when they wouldn't get out of her way.

Her search had taken her far longer than she'd hoped, but she wasn't about to stop now. This was too important.

She pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket once more and studied the address, she breathed a sigh of relief: she was close.

It took her a few more minutes to get through the press of people, but she eventually forced her way through the crowds to find the villa she was after. She rang the bell, mentally rehearsing the speech that she'd been working on.

A maid answered the door and asked her something in a language she didn't understand, much less recognise. Her heart sank and she started to panic that she would fail at the first hurdle.

"I need to see your master," she said slowly and carefully, "is he home?"

The maid stared at her blankly and babbled something in the unfamiliar tongue.

Jessica shook her head, "Your master," she repeated firmly, " _Eric_ ," she stressed, but the woman continued babbling unheeded, "or Sookie?" she tried again.

The woman shrugged hopelessly, looking almost as lost as Jessica felt. Biting her lip, the young vampire pulled the paper from her pocket again and showed it the woman, "Is this the right house?" she asked, gesturing between the villa and the piece of paper.

The woman shrugged again as she made a gesture that looked suspiciously like she couldn't read.

Jessica felt her frustration start to take over her hopelessness and she cursed angrily, shoving the paper back in her pocket. "Wonderful," she muttered under her breath, "just bloody perfect," she added as her fangs dropped in her anger.

The woman gave a shriek and cowered away from her, snapping Jessica out of her mood as she tried to placate the woman.

A voice barked something in the unfamiliar language from nearby and the woman started to babble to someone out of sight. The voice answered again and Jessica breathed a sigh of relief as Eric stepped into view.

He blinked as he recognised her, "Jessica," he said, clearly surprised, what are you doing here? Sookie's not here at the moment," he continued before she could reply.

Jessica shook her head, "Actually, it's _you_ I came to see."

Eric raised an eyebrow.

"I think Pam might be in trouble," Jessica told him.

She was shocked as he remained unmoved, "She's a big girl, I'm sure that she can take care of herself."

"What?"

Eric ignored her question and made to go.

"How can you say that?" she demanded, "This is _Pam_ ," she added, forgetting about her former deference for the older vampire as she tugged on his arm, making him stop and turn around. "You know, Pam, your _Child_ ," she reminded him, ignoring his stern look.

"Pam and I aren't exactly on the best of terms," he replied icily, shaking her hand off his arm.

"Don't you even _care_?" Jessica asked, incredulous.

Eric ignored her question and started to walk away, Jessica made to follow but was stopped by the maid who suddenly blocked her path. Jessica watched him go helplessly.

"Please," she called after him, "you were my last hope!"

"I'm sorry you wasted your time," he spat over his shoulder, still walking away from her.

Jessica's shoulders slumped, "Fine," she conceded, "I'll just have to find a way to get rid of Sebastian myself."

Eric stopped at the name and turned around slowly to face her, "What did you say?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice.

Jessica shifted nervously as she took in his dangerous expression, "I'll just have to find a way to get rid of him myself," she repeated uncertainly.

Eric growled under his breath and took a threatening step towards her, "The _name_ , woman," he snapped, "you said a name."

"Sebastian?"

Eric's snarl was almost feral, "Where is she?" he demanded.


	3. Chapter 2

Jessica regarded the pair across from her uncertainly as they took a chartered Anubis Airways flight back to Shreveport. Eric had barely said a word since they had bordered the plane which appeared to be unnerving Sookie just as much as it was her.

"What are you going to do?" she asked finally, breaking the silence.

Eric shot her a dark look, but said nothing.

She sighed inwardly, "Who is Sebastian?"

"That is between me and Pam," Eric replied evenly, although his eyes glittered dangerously.

"Why did you decide to help me once you heard his name?" she pressed.

"Just drop it," Eric hissed, clenching his hands into fists where they rested on his knees.

Sookie laid a placating hand on one of his hands, but he shook her off with a snarl. Sookie drew back, looking a little stung, but he didn't notice as he turned to look out of the window. Pointedly ignoring them both.

Jessica took the hint and kept her mouth shut, but she continued to regard him curiously.

She'd had her doubts about the new arrival ever since Pam had introduced him, but she'd seemed so happy that Jessica hadn't felt right voicing her concerns. The fact that he was clearly ill _did_ concern her, but Pam didn't seem to mind.

If anything, it appeared to deepen her connection with the other vampire.

She was almost completely under his thrall and Jessica couldn't work out exactly why that was, but something clearly bound them together very strongly. It was when Pam had started to become almost as drawn and ill looking as the other vampire that Jessica had begun to feel real alarm.

But it wasn't until she'd caught her coughing up blood that she'd become concerned enough to go in search of Eric.

Something needed to be done to rescue Pam from whatever was happening between her and Sebastian and, despite all that had happened, Eric was the only one with any hope of getting through to her.

Jessica just hoped that the rift between them wouldn't prove to be an insurmountable obstacle.

"We're about to land," Sookie commented quietly, earning a grunt from Eric as he grudgingly followed her direction to put on his seatbelt.

Jessica eyed them as she followed suit, wondering whether their relationship would stand the test of whatever it was that was going on with Pam.

...

 **A/N: So...what do you think? Updates coming soon! :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, I have been incredibly humbled and very grateful for all of the kind responses to this story. A few of you have asked for longer chapters so I should probably warn you now that it may not happen - I prefer not to cram too much into the one chapter and tend to have multiple short chapters rather than really extensive ones. I apologise if people don't like that, but it's just the way I write. Anyways - hope you enjoy the latest installment(s)! :)**

Despite her own sense of urgency about the situation, Jessica was surprised that Eric immediately made his way to Pam's house. He hadn't even paused to discuss their next course of action with either her or Sookie, he just pointed the car in that direction and headed off at a speed not entirely safe considering one of his passengers was mortal.

He was out of the car before he'd turned the engine off completely, leaving Jessica and Sookie to scramble out after him as he pounded on Pam's front door.

"Oh, it's you," Pam said tonelessly as she opened the door and regarded them.

Jessica suppressed gasp as she took in the older vampire's appearance, she'd never seen Pam look so unkempt. She shuddered slightly as she saw how ill she looked and noticed the dark veins marring her usually flawless skin.

Even Eric looked visibly shaken by her appearance and he took a moment to gather his composure, "Where is he?" he asked finally, in a low tone.

Pam closed the door slightly, barring their entry, "Inside," she replied shortly.

Eric's jaw tightened as he took in her protective stance, "What does he want?"

"Me," Pam replied flatly, looking him straight in the eye, "it's been so long since anyone has that it's nice to be appreciated," she added, lifting her chin with something like her old spark.

"I _never_ stopped wanting you," Eric hissed, missing the hurt look Sookie shot in his direction.

A look that was not lost on Pam who gave her an almost pitying smile, "I could have warned you that he's a heartless bastard," she drawled.

Eric snarled and she smiled easily up at him, "Go on," she goaded him, "deny it, I _dare_ you."

"Look at what he's done to you," Eric seethed, ignoring her challenge.

"He didn't do this to me, Eric, _you_ did," she informed him. " _You_ abandoned me," she reminded him, "and took her with you," she added, nodding in Sookie's direction. "You can't blame me for going where I'm wanted, where I'm _needed_ ," she stressed.

"Who is it, my sweet?" called a voice from inside, causing Eric to stiffen.

Pam looked Eric straight in the eye, "No one important," she replied before shutting the door in Eric's face.

Eric stood staring at the door for a long moment and Jessica's heart went out to him as she took in his lost expression. She bit her lip as he slowly reached out and touched the door.

He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, "This isn't over," he promised the closed door as he opened his eyes. Jessica glanced uncertainly at Sookie who was watching him with an unreadable expression on her face.

Both women jumped as he suddenly drew himself up and stalked back to the car, leaving them in his wake. They barely had enough time to get into the car before he sped off into the night.


	5. Chapter 4

Eric was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that Jessica feared he was going to break it. She chewed her lip nervously as she regarded his tense profile, noting his clenched jaw and fiery eyes.

She shared a concerned look with Sookie as both women waited for the explosion they knew was coming.

Despite their wary vigilance, Jessica still jumped as Eric broke the silence: "Why didn't you tell me she was sick?" he demanded through grit teeth.

"I didn't know," Jessica admitted in a small voice.

Eric made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a snarl as he adjusted his hold on the steering wheel, "How could you _not_ know?" he spat.

"How could _you_?" Jessica shot back defensively.

The look Eric shot her over his shoulder sent her cowering back in her seat.

"It's not her fault," Sookie interposed quietly and Eric's steely gaze fell on her with a snarl.

"Then I suppose it's all _my_ fault, is that it?" he hissed.

Sookie hesitated and Eric turned from her, rolling his eyes contemptuously, "I left her for you," he reminded her, glaring out the windscreen. "Do not give me any further cause to regret that decision," he warned her acidly.

Jessica gasped and Sookie turned to look out of the window in silence, blinking back tears.

If they expected him to soften at the display of emotion, they were to be disappointed. If anything, Sookie's tears only seemed to enrage Eric further and he listed off a string of curses in his native tongue as he turned up Sookie's driveway.

Eric was gone in a flash, slamming the car door behind him so hard that the whole car rocked. Sookie stared out the window after him for a long moment and took a deep, steadying breath.

"Shall we go inside?" Sookie asked with forced cheerfulness as she turned back to Jessica.

Jessica nodded wordlessly and followed her into the house, she hovered just inside the doorway as she watched Sookie turn on the lights and check on the different rooms.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, causing Sookie to pause in her wanderings and look at her in surprise. "I didn't mean for this to come between you and Eric, I just…" she made a helpless motion with her hands, "I just wanted to save Pam."

Sookie gave her an understanding smile as she came back to join her, "I think it was only a matter of time before Pam came between us," she said softly, giving one of Jessica's hands a gentle squeeze. "It's not your fault," she added with a sad smile before drifting off to the kitchen with an offer of True Blood.

Jessica hesitated before following her. She still felt guilty about what her decision to contact Eric was doing to his relationship with Sookie but she couldn't bring herself to regret it.


	6. Chapter 5

Eric ran through the night in a futile attempt to outstrip his problems.

His mind was a tumult of emotions and memories as he tried to come to terms with how this could have happened. How he could ever have left his Child so vulnerable that she could fall prey to this man.

This man who now held a dangerous sway over her, this man who was supposed to be dead.

Eric snarled at this last thought as he continued to race through the darkness.

Sebastian was supposed to have died long ago, before he'd even met Pam and _long_ before he made her a vampire. He could now guess how he'd managed to survive but he was at a loss as to how he could have gained such ascendancy over his Child.

After breaking her heart so brutally all those years – _decades_ – ago, how could she have taken him back now? Why had she even wanted to?

He shied away from this last questions as her words came back to haunt him:

"You _abandoned me and took her with you. You can't blame me for going where I'm wanted, where I'm_ needed _."_

He growled angrily as he started to slow his pace, he would never forgive himself for making her feel unwanted. He would always need her and _no one_ would ever come between them.

Not Sookie and certainly not Sebastian.

When Pam had first told him about her history with Sebastian he'd wanted to tear the other man limb from limb for what he'd done to her and he'd always assumed that Pam would want to do the same. It had never occurred to him that she might still harbour some feelings for him.

A shared history, especially a shared grief filled history, could do funny things and he was concerned about just how much that might be affecting her judgement.

He came to an immediate, almost jarring, stop as he realised he'd run all the way back to her house.

He sucked in a deep, unnecessary breath before he stealthily made his way up to one of the windows. He bared his fangs as he caught sight of Sebastian lying languidly on the couch with Pam on her knees beside him, stroking his hair and murmuring something too low for him to hear.

It galled him to see Pam being so intimate with someone else, especially that swine.

He clenched his fists as he watched her continued attentions to the other, obviously weakened vampire.

His lip curled in a silent snarl above his bared fangs as he promised himself that, one way or another, he'd save his Child.

Even if that meant saving her from herself.

...

 **A/N: I refer you to my other story "Secrets" for anything in this chapter that doesn't make sense. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed it! x**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Once again, thank you for all the reviews/follows/favourites. Hope you continue to enjoy it :) Once again, this will make more sense if you've read "Secrets"**

" _Lavender's blue, Rosemary's green," Pam sang absently as she leaned comfortably against her companion as they floated down the river. "When I am king, you shall be queen…"_

 _He laughed and hugged her closer to him, "And so you are," he agreed, kissing the top of her head._

 _She smiled and snuggled deeper into his side, "I wish this moment didn't have to end," she said wistfully after a long moment, "do you really have to go?"_

 _He hugged her even closer, resting his cheek against her hair, "I'm sorry," he said regretfully._

" _I love you," she whispered as her eyes filled with tears._

" _I know," he murmured._

He'd promised that he'd come back, had sworn it as they'd made love for the last time.

Only he never had.

The weeks had turned into months and then she'd found out that he'd left for war, only to die somewhere in France.

He'd used her, abandoned her and she'd been a fool to believe him.

At least, that's what she'd thought.

She smiled softly as she lay wrapped in the arms of her lover in the bed she used to share with Eric, "Poor love," she murmured, stroking his cheek as she watched him sleep. "My dearest Sebastian," she added, pushing away the rest of the unpleasant memories from the past and choosing instead to focus on his return.

Specifically the moment when he declared that he'd always intended to return and how he'd spent the better part of the last century trying to discover what had happened to her.

Her eyes filled with bloody tears as she remembered how he'd wept when she told him her past, about their child.

" _I should never have left you," he'd whispered through his tears, holding her impossibly close and raining down kisses on her face, "I'm so sorry, my darling, my sweetest love, I'm so terribly sorry."_

What a stark contrast his words had made with some of her more recent exchanges with her Maker.

" _Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

" _Either get over it and have my back or get out of my face."_

" _I renounce the ties of our blood…"_

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she remembered pleading with him not to leave and how he'd gone in spite of it. Adding insult to injury by taking the fairy with him instead.

She traced the dark veins that marred Sebastian's otherwise flawless skin sadly, neither of them had realised how ill he was – or how contagious – but at least now they could be together in death as they'd been unable to be in life.

"I love you," she murmured, smoothing back his hair and planting a kiss on his forehead before closing her eyes.


	8. Chapter 7

Sookie watched the dawn break and finally admitted to herself that Eric would be going to ground somewhere else.

She drew her knees up under her chin and tugged at the sleeves on her jacket in an attempt to fight off the chill. Taking another sip of her drink she continued to watch the sunrise, pretending that she'd stayed up all night to see it rather than for her boyfriend to return.

She chewed her lip thoughtfully as she pondered the implications of his mood and the current state of his affairs with Pam.

She'd always known that the two vampires were close and shared a bond that ran deeper than that of Maker and Child. But she'd never really considered how that bond would affect her relationship with Eric.

Stupid really, she should have considered that they had been a pair for so long that it would be difficult for a third person to be added into the mix. Still, she'd never have guessed that Pam finding someone else would make Eric go off the rails so completely.

Although, obviously, her illness was a genuine cause for concern.

They'd heard whispers of the vampire virus while they'd been abroad, but hadn't given it much thought. Hadn't given anyone besides themselves much thought really.

Now that they were back she had her own demons to face, like Bill and Alcide.

She'd left with Eric partly to escape from a complicated romantic situation, but now she'd found herself embroiled in another.

Not that Eric's parting comment had given her much hope of their relationship continuing; Pam was his priority, just as Sookie was beginning to suspect she'd always be.

She sighed and rested her chin on her knees, still watching the sunrise and pondering her next move.

...

 **A/N: Thanks again! Will update again soon x**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Apologies for the delay in updating - RL intervened. Hope these new chapters make up for it, once again a little knowledge of my head canon for Pam (i.e. "Secrets" and "My Darling Boy") would be an advantage. Thanks again for all the feedback! x**

Pam spent a troubled night, disturbed by visions of her Maker and their life together.

Despite their bond being broken, she was still drawn to him and the instinct to run to him for comfort now that she knew she was dying was almost overwhelming.

He'd been her world for so long that it was unsettling to have him so distant, especially now that he'd returned.

Carefully she disentangled herself from Sebastian's embrace and withdrew to the chair by the window to look out at the stars.

As she gazed out into the darkness a long forgotten moment with her Maker came to mind and she smiled a little at the memory.

" _Our love will last until the stars turn cold," Eric told her solemnly, wrapping his arms around her._

 _Pam suppressed a grin, "Is that supposed to be romantic?"_

" _I'm a vampire, not a poet," Eric sniffed._

 _Pam raised an eyebrow, "You're also a thief, that's from_ Singing in the Rain."

" _Just because someone else said it first doesn't make it any less true," he informed her with a smile._

Pam was brought abruptly back to the present as Sebastian broke the silence: "What are you smiling about?"

"Eric," she replied without thinking, she bit her lip and glanced back at him guiltily.

Her brow furrowed slightly at his lack of reaction, if she'd admitted to daydreaming about another man with Eric he would have hit the ceiling.

Rather like the night before in fact.

She regarded him thoughtfully for a long moment, "Do you love me?" she asked finally.

Sebastian blinked, "What?"

Pam pursed her lips, "You heard me."

"Of course I do," he assured her.

"Then why don't you ever say it?"

"Do I need to?"

"It would help."

He frowned, "Help what?"

"Me to believe you," she explained, "I'm…I'm not sure that I do," she confessed quietly.

"Is this because of him?" Sebastian demanded.

Pam shook her head, "No, this is about us." She paused, "You've never actually said it." She frowned as she thought back over their past, "Ever."

"I don't see what difference it makes," Sebastian replied crossly, sitting up in the bed.

"It makes _all_ the difference," Pam insisted with a sinking feeling, "you either do or you don't."

Sebastian's face hardened and his eyes suddenly went cold as he regarded her, "Fine," he snapped, "I don't."

Pam gasped, surprised by how much his words hurt even though she'd been half expecting them. Before she could respond, Sebastian moved with surprising speed to pin her to the window by her throat.

"I hoped to tell you all this as you lay dying, but there's no time like the present," he told her, tightening his grip on her throat as she struggled against him.

"I never loved you," he said bluntly with a malicious relish, "I _hate_ you. You were all that Bertie ever spoke about," he continued, "and I knew that the only way for me to ever succeed was for you to disappear," he explained, talking more to himself now than to her as she stilled, tears welling in her eyes. "When I left you I thought that you'd be ruined and I could _finally_ have him to myself, but instead he died in my arms," he closed his eyes for a brief moment before glaring at her. "And _you_ ," he growled, tightening his grip on her throat even further, "you had to be saved by that stupid f*cking Viking!" he roared.

Sebastian calmed himself with a visible effort, "Even as he lay _dying_ , all Bertie could think of was his precious little sister." He shook his head, "I thought you'd died long ago but when I found out differently, I came to find you," he smiled, "after making proper preparations of course."

A sob escaped from Pam before she could stop it and he looked triumphantly into her tear stained face, "Actually, I think I prefer it this way," he said conversationally, "it gives me longer to enjoy my triumph."

"I wouldn't bet on that," came a voice from the doorway.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, "How touching," he drawled, turning around to face Eric whilst maintaining his vice-like grip on Pam's throat.

"I'm going to give you one chance to let her go," Eric continued, "before I tear you to pieces."

Sebastian laughed, "You can do what you like to me," he told Eric, "I'm dying anyway," he grinned, "and so is she," he added, flinging Pam in Eric's direction.

Eric caught Pam as she tumbled into him and glared over her head at Sebastian, "You're a sick bastard," he snarled.

Sebastian grinned, "Guilty as charged."

Carefully setting Pam aside, Eric pounced and made good on his promise to swiftly dispatch the over vampire.

He stood gloating over the remains of the other vampire for a long moment before a soft whimper from Pam caught his attention.

Her already drawn features were ashen as she looked up at him with hollow eyes, "Do _you_ still love me?" she whispered.

Eric was at her side in a moment, pulling her impossibly close, "Always," he promised, burying his face in her hair as she wept into his neck.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: I _may_ have borrowed a line that I'm sure you will recognise for this chapter...**

Eric sat with Pam cradled in his arms for what felt like an eternity as her anguished sobs ripped through him.

He shifted his hold on her as he wondered guiltily if some of her tears were for them. Unfortunately, Pam took his movement as a sign of displeasure and abruptly pulled herself from his grasp.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, taking a deep, ragged breath that she didn't need and hugging herself tightly.

"It's fine," he assured her, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from her face.

She shied away from him, "Please don't," she whispered, hunching her shoulders, "just go."

Eric sat back, stunned, "What?"

Pam looked up at him sorrowfully, "You're going to leave eventually and it will be less painful if you do so now."

Eric frowned, "I'm not going to leave you."

"I'm going to die, Eric," she said flatly, "there's nothing you can do to change that so just…leave." She looked away, "Please," she added in a whisper, closing her eyes as fresh tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"I'm not going to leave you," Eric repeated firmly, slipping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close against his side.

She melted against him, "Stop being such a stubborn f*cking Viking," she sobbed against his chest. "Everyone I love leaves, everything I touch dies, so…please," she looked up at him, "just go."

Eric narrowed his eyes at her, "Fine," he said finally, "I'll go," he agreed, "but I'm taking you with me," he added, sweeping her into his arms as he stood up.

Pam pushed weakly against his chest in protest, "Eric…"

"Don't even bother," he told her calmly, carrying her out of the room, "you're coming with me whether you like it or not."

"Selfish," she mumbled, resting her head against his shoulder.

Eric grinned down at her, "Insubordinate."

A ghost of a smile passed across Pam's lips as her eyes slipped shut and she 'slept.'


	11. Chapter 10

In hindsight, Sookie shouldn't have been surprised to see Eric appear at her door the next night with an unconscious Pam in his arms.

"What happened?" she asked, stepping aside to allow him to enter.

"Sebastian proved himself to be the cretin I always suspected him to be," Eric replied as he carried Pam into the living room. "So I killed him," he added absently as he carefully deposited Pam on the couch.

Sookie watched as he crouched down beside the recumbent vampire to whisper something in his native tongue before pressing a kiss to her forehead. Sookie looked away as he stroked Pam's cheek and made her way to the kitchen, suddenly feeling like an intruder.

Eric joined her a few moments later and leaned against the doorframe as he watched her warm up a bottle of True Blood.

"So…" he began, still watching her with a hint of apprehension.

"So," Sookie repeated, handing him the bottle and taking a seat at the table.

She looked up expectantly as he took a sip of the True Blood and pretended not to notice as he hid a grimace by joining her at the table.

"Where's Jessica?" he asked with forced nonchalance, avoiding her eyes by fiddling with the label on the True Blood bottle.

"She went to see Bill."

Eric nodded, "Ah."

Sookie pursed her lips as she watched him continue to play with the bottle, but she was prevented from making any comment as Eric continued.

"Pamela is dying," he said quietly, setting the bottle aside and looking her in the eye, "and I can't allow that to happen." He paused, "I can't lose her."

Sookie raised her eyebrows, "But you can lose me?"

Eric cocked his head to the side, "I'm not sure that I ever really _had_ you," he said finally, "or care enough to try and keep you," he added softly, looking away.

Sookie stared at him in stunned silence, stung by the bluntness of his words.

Eric sighed, "I'm not going to pretend that I don't care about you," he continued, turning to look at her, "but Pam will always come first. I love _her,"_ he admitted.

Sookie swiped angrily at the tears welling in her eyes, "Do I get any say in this?"

"Sookie, you don't love me," he told her seriously, "and I think you know that."

Sookie sniffed, "That doesn't make this any easier."

Eric conceded with a nod, "I know."

Sookie took a calming breath and wiped away her tears, "What will you do now?"

Eric drew himself up and looked deep into her eyes, "Whatever it takes to save her."

...

 **A/N: *dramatic chord* Haha, hope you liked these updates - sorry for the delay, will try not to leave it so long next time! x**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hurray, no more Sooric or Sebastpam :P Haha, thank you so much for all the reviews etc. I really do appreciate them, hope you like the new updates! :)**

Later that evening Sookie pottered around the house, making sure that everything was ready for the morning before she snatched a couple of hours rest. She jumped as she heard Eric's roar of fury from the living room; cautiously she made her way down the hallway and peeped through the door.

Eric was agitatedly pacing the room as he spoke sharply into his phone, barely pausing in his tirade to listen to whoever it was on the other end.

"There _has_ to be a cure!" he suddenly bellowed, making Sookie jump.

She watched in morbid fascination as his face took on a distinctly feral edge and he let out a furious snarl that made her instinctively duck out of sight. His phone came flying through the open doorway in the next moment, shattering to pieces as it hit the wall.

Sookie waited for a few moments before she peeped around the doorway once more. She covered her mouth with her hand as she caught sight of him kneeling beside the still unconscious Pam, his head pillowed in his arms as his shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Presently he lifted his tear stained face and gently stroked the still unconscious Pam's hair, "I'm so sorry," he whispered in a tone that broke Sookie's heart.

Unable to watch his pain and helpless to do anything about it, Sookie tore herself away and hurried upstairs to her room. Flinging herself on the bed, she burst into tears as she hugged a pillow tightly.

She'd never really thought much about Eric's relationship with the other woman – or thought about it at all if she was really honest – and she certainly had never suspected how deeply he cared for Pam.

Stupid, really.

Especially as she considered how – even in the brief time she'd known them – she'd never seen him look at another woman the way he looked at his Child.

Not even her.

She burst into fresh tears as, for the first time, she considered the likely outcome should Pam not recover.

Eric had been right, she didn't love him, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt her if he chose to meet the True Death.


	13. Chapter 12

Pam was dead.

Eric stared in at the bloody mess that coated his hands and clothing as he struggled to comprehend that this was all that was left of his Child.

His hands shook as he examined the blood that coated them and he took in deep, shuddering breaths.

He hadn't even known that she'd gone.

One minute he'd been cradling her sleeping form in his arms as he went to ground in the cubby-hole at Sookie's and the next he was waking up to find that she was, quite literally, _gone_.

Only she wasn't just gone, she was dead.

She was dead and he'd failed.

Despite not needing to breathe, Eric found that he was surprisingly close to hyperventilating as the magnitude of that fact began to sink in.

His vision clouded with bloody tears as he let out a cry and attempted to gather her remains. His sobs became louder and more heart-wrenching as the blood – _her_ blood – trickled through his fingers.

"No," he sob, "no, no, no…Pam!" he cried out, "You can't be gone…come back…please. Pam!" he howled, "Pam!"

Throwing his head back he called out her name in an anguished yell and-

-woke with a start as he landed on the floor in the cubby-hole at Sookie's.

He blinked in surprise as he took in his surroundings, shocked by the absence of any blood. His eyes fell on Pam who raised an eyebrow, "Care to explain what that was all about?" she asked.

It was Pam's turn to blink in surprise as she suddenly found herself crushed against Eric's chest, "As much as I appreciate you calling out my name in your sleep," she began, her voice muffled by his shirt. "You scared the hell out of me," she continued, "I had to throw you out of bed just to wake you."

In his relief, Eric didn't hear her and pulled back to stare at her in wonder, "You're alive," he breathed.

"In a manner of speaking," Pam agreed drily before he crushed her to him again.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, hugging her even closer.

"I guess that explains the screaming," she commented, her sarcastic tone marred by having her face pressed into his chest. She paused, "Eric, I don't need to breath but a little personal space would be nice."

Eric loosened his hold on her and she looked up at him, "Are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"I love you," he said seriously, leaning in to kiss her.

She turned her head, "I'll infect you," she reminded him.

"I don't care."

She frowned up at him, "Well _I_ do," she told him, "I don't want you to die."

Eric raised an eyebrow, "Well then you'd better recover, Ms Swynford-de Beaufort, because if you die then _I'll_ die."

"Don't be ridiculous," she muttered, looking away.

"Do you honestly think I could function without you?" he demanded.

"You managed for several centuries before you turned me, besides, you'll have your precious Sookie," she retorted.

Eric sighed, "She's _not_ my precious Sookie," he insisted, "she's not my precious _anything_."

Pam regarded him in disbelief.

"You are the only thing in this world that I care about," he told her seriously, "and I have no interest in living without you."

Pam dropped her head onto his shoulder, "Always so melodramatic," she said after a moment.

Eric chuckled softly as he rested his cheek against the top of her head, "Just promise me that you won't give up."

Pam hesitated, "I'll try."

Eric tightened his hold on her, it wasn't the promise that he was hoping for but, after his conversation with Dr. Ludwig earlier that evening, he wasn't sure how optimistic he felt either.

...

 **A/N: More to follow soon x**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews/favourites/follows :) And humblest apologies to all those that I freaked out, but I couldn't resist tossing that in ;) This may also come as a shock, but I have changed a few things about the series in the next few chapters ;)**

Later that evening, Eric emerged from the cubby-hole in search of Sookie.

He found her in the kitchen, putting away the last of the dishes from her dinner and he was about to speak to her when the front door slammed. A whirlwind of red shot into the kitchen and it took Eric a moment to register that the whirlwind was actually Jessica.

A very excited Jessica.

She was talking so fast that, even with his superior vampire abilities, he was having difficulty understanding what she was babbling about. He glanced at Sookie to find that she was completely lost as she stared at the young vampire in confusion.

Pam's name caught his attention and he looked back at Jessica sharply, "What?" he snapped, abruptly cutting across her excited rambling.

Jessica stopped mid-sentence with a small start, "Um…Bill's made a deal with the Yakonomo Corporation to create an antidote from Sarah Newlin's blood," she repeated slowly, looking a little uncertain.

Eric narrowed his eyes, "And?"

"And they need a spokesperson," Jessica continued in the same tone, glancing at Sookie, "someone who's been cured."

Eric's eyes narrowed further as he considered this, "Are they sure that this cure works?"

Jessica bit her lip, "Well, they haven't tested it themselves yet but they reckon she cured her sister in Dallas."

Eric raised an eyebrow, "What happened to her sister?"

Jessica looked a little uncomfortable, "Apparently there was…an issue with capturing Sarah."

Eric pursed his lips, "I see."

Jessica paused and looked around, "Where is Pam?"

Eric unconsciously moved to block the way to the cubby hole, "She's resting."

They regarded each other for a long moment, "This could be her chance," Jessica said finally.

Eric hesitated, "It seems too good to be true."

"Isn't that her decision?" Sookie piped up.

Both vampires glanced at her in mild surprise, having forgotten she was there, "I mean, what has she got to lose?" Sookie continued with a small shrug.

Eric still looked doubtful but he couldn't deny that it was ultimately Pam's choice, after obtaining a few more details from Jessica, he left the women in the kitchen and went to rejoin his Child.


	15. Chapter 14

"No."

Eric sighed and dragged a hand through his hair in exasperation, "It's your _one_ chance to be cured," he reminded her, "isn't that at least worth considering?"

"And spending the rest of eternity as a glorified sales girl? No thank you," Pam replied flatly.

"What about not giving up?" he demanded, standing up and pacing the room, "Do you _want_ to die?"

Pam looked thoughtful and Eric glanced at where she was sitting on the narrow bed in concern, "Pam?" he prompted.

"I've had an eventful life," she began but Eric cut her off.

"Don't you dare," he warned her, "how can you even _think_ that?"

"A wise man once told me that everything ends," she countered, "what's wrong with choosing my end?"

"But you don't have to make that choice," he retorted.

"Perhaps rather than choose the manner of my death, I'd like to choose how I live," she replied evenly, "and I _don't_ want to live at the mercy of some corporation."

"You wouldn't have to," Eric promised her, "we'd work something out, _after_ you were cured."

Pam shook her head stubbornly, "I don't want to get involved." She sighed, "I'm tired, Eric," she added softly, "I'm so tired of fighting, for _everything_ , it never ends."

Eric shook his head and moved the ladder, "I can't do this," he said finally, "I have nothing else to say to you," he added as he began to climb out of the cubby hole.

Pam watched him go before lying down on her side and pulling the blanket up over her head.

"Everyone I love leaves, everything I touch dies," she whispered to herself as she curled up into the foetal position and started to sob.

At the top of the ladder, Eric had barely stepped out of the wardrobe that concealed the entrance to the cubby hole before the sound of her sobs reached him.

He froze for a brief moment, before he closed the door behind him and walked away.

...

 **A/N: More to come x**


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews/follows/favourites :) I'm down to the last few chapters now so will probably just post them one at a time, unless you want them all at once (?). Hope you enjoy x**

Much later that evening, after Jessica had left, Sookie was surprised to find Eric sitting in the living room with his head in his hands.

She hesitated in the doorway, uncertain as to whether he wanted company or not.

"She refuses to cooperate," Eric said without looking up.

Sookie took his comment as tacit permission to enter and came to join him on the couch, "Did she say why?"

"She doesn't want them to control her life," he replied as he sat up.

Sookie was shocked by how defeated he looked as he let out a heavy sigh, "I don't know what to do," he confessed, staring blankly at the wall.

"Maybe she just needs more time to consider it," Sookie suggested carefully.

Eric made a sound somewhere between an exasperated sigh and snort of derision, "She doesn't have time," he snapped, "she's just too stubborn," he added in an under tone.

Sookie raised an eyebrow, "Look who's talking."

Eric pulled a face at her but otherwise ignored her comment and the pair lapsed into a contemplative silence.

"What are you going to do?" Sookie asked finally.

Eric shrugged, "Find another way I guess," he paused, "I'm not going to lose her."

Any reply Sookie would have made was cut off by an agonized cry from the cubby hole; Eric was up and gone before Sookie even registered his movement.

Sookie followed at as quickly as she could and was almost as panicked as Eric looked as she caught sight of Pam convulsing in pain on the floor.

"What do I do?" Eric demanded, terrified as Sookie reached the bottom of the ladder.

"I don't know," she confessed, feeling helpless, "just keep her from hurting herself," she suggested, pushing the bed closer to the wall. "Hopefully it will pass," she added, biting her lip as she and Eric stood helplessly by.

After what felt like hours, but in reality was only a few minutes, Pam's convulsions lost some of their intensity before they ceased altogether. The sight of the normally poised vampire curled in the foetal position and whimpering touched Sookie's heart and she felt her eyes prick with tears.

Eric moved to cradle Pam in his arms and Sookie decided that was her cue to leave.

She'd barely made it two steps towards the ladder when Pam leaned over and vomited up a large quantity of blood, coating Eric's sleeve and Sookie's shoes in the process.

"Sorry," Pam croaked, looking up at them both blearily as she sank back against Eric's chest.

"It's fine," Sookie assured her, "I'll clean it up later, just rest now."

"Ok," Pam agreed docilely as her head dropped onto Eric's shoulder and she closed her eyes.

Sookie shared a concerned look with Eric, "Find Jessica," he ordered curtly.

Sookie nodded and left the cubby hole.


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews - hope you enjoy this next little bit (the next one is longer, I promise) x**

Eric sat on the floor, clutching Pam to his chest and trying to quieten his turbulent emotions.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so frightened and the dark veins that had crept onto her face did very little to assuage his fears.

Pam looked up at him groggily and blinked slowly, "I love you," she murmured, raising her hand with a visible effort to touch his face.

Eric kissed her hand, "Don't," he begged hoarsely, gripping her hand tightly as he held it against his cheek, "please don't leave me."

His chest clenched painfully as she smiled sadly up at him.

 _Who's going to comfort me for centuries to come?_

The words he'd spoken to Nora flittered through his mind; losing her had been incredibly painful but he knew that it would be nothing compared to the pain of losing Pam.

If she died he'd have nothing – _no one_ – left.

"Please," he begged, "help is on it's way, just…stay with me."

She continued to gaze at him, her expression almost serene and so much like Nora's had been that it hurt.

"You _have_ to stay with me," he murmured, tightening his hold on her so that she was almost crushed against him, "what will I do without you?"

"Sookie?" she quipped bleakly as her eyes slipped shut.

"That's not funny," he told her flatly and she opened her eyes to gaze at him.

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

"I _am_ sorry to leave you," she amended.

"No one is leaving anybody," he told her firmly, "we're going to fix this, you are _not_ going to die. I forbid it," he added, trying to smile through his tears.

"So bossy," she murmured, a smile tugging at her lips as her eyes slipped shut once more.

His smile faded, "Pam?"

No response.

"Pamela?" he asked again, frightened as he gave her a shake.

She moaned and he breathed a small sigh of relief, "You have to stay with me," he reminded her, "you can't die."

She moaned again and shifted to bury her face in his chest.

"You can't die," he repeated softly, burying his face in her hair.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: Yep, so this is pretty much the final chapter - with the distinct possibility of at least an epilogue - thanks for coming along for the ride, so glad you enjoyed it! Please feel free to send prompts, hope you enjoy this! x**

"I'm still not sure about this," Bill grumbled as Sookie opened the door.

"It's for Pam," Jessica reminded him as she helped him drag the bound, gagged and blindfolded Sarah Newlin into the hallway.

"We don't even know if this is going to work," he reminded her as they dragged Sarah over to the cubby hole.

"It will work," Sookie said firmly, opening the hatch, "it has to."

Bill still looked unconvinced but dutifully followed Sookie into the cubby hole before assisting Jessica to lower Sarah down.

"You're too late," Eric said despondently from his position on the floor.

The others shot an anxious look in his direction, but Eric's focus remained on Pam's face.

"She lost consciousness a few minutes ago, she can't feed," he added, gently stroking her cheek and looking more like a lost little boy than the arrogant vampire they knew.

The utter despair in Eric's voice moved Bill more than he cared to admit, "Nonsense," he said brusquely, "we can still try," he insisted, pulling Sarah over to where Eric sat cradling Pam.

Sarah made a terrified sound as Jessica and Bill set about preparing one of her arms to feed the unconscious Pam. Sookie watched their businesslike manner with morbid fascination, trying to block out the terrified woman's thoughts.

"No one's going to kill you," she soothed after a moment, unable to bear the other woman's jumbled thoughts any longer.

Her words did little to pacify Sarah and she struggled as Bill positioned the open wound on her wrist over Pam's mouth. Sookie jumped as Bill slapped Sarah across the face, "Stop it," he snapped and the blonde instantly obeyed.

Sookie continued to stare at Bill in shock, but none of the vampires appeared fazed by the violence as they all watched Pam closely.

"Come on, Pam, drink," Bill coaxed, attempting to squeeze a few more drops of Sarah's blood into her mouth.

"Please, Pam," Jessica begged in turn, watching the older vampire anxiously.

Eric said nothing as he stared at his Child, silently willing her to wake up and begin to feed. Eventually he shook his head, "It's hopeless," he said finally, looking up at Bill and Jessica, "but I appreciate your willingness to try."

"It's the least I could do after she kept Jessica safe in that camp," Bill said with a sad smile.

"Wait! Look!" Jessica cried out excitedly.

Both vampires looked down to see Pam languidly lick her lips before she swallowed. The others jumped as her fangs suddenly flicked out and she latched onto Sarah's wrist.

Sarah let out a startled cry, but was once again ignored as the vampire trio shared relieved smiles. Slowly Pam's eyes opened and locked with Eric's as she continued to drink.

" _Välkommen tillbaka_ _min kärlek_ ," he murmured, stroking her hair, watching in awe as the dark veins mottling her skin began to fade.

Pam stopped feeding with a deep sigh and grinned up at Eric as the last of the veins disappeared, " _Jag_ _tror att du_ _är skyldig mig_ _en kyss_ ," she teased.

Eric raised an eyebrow, " _Hur kunde jag glömma_?"

Pam gave him a saucy smile before she looked over to where Bill was helping Jessica to tie up Sarah's hands, "Thank you," she said simply.

Bill looked down at her, "Don't mention it."

"I-" she began but her cut her off.

"No, seriously, don't mention it," he told her, "this is strictly off the books, the Yakonomo Corporation know nothing about this little excursion and I'd like to keep it that way."

"I don't understand," she said finally, glancing at Eric.

"I don't plan on letting them continue to exploit me," Bill explained evenly.

"And you'd rather not share," Pam added with a smirk.

Bill looked uncomfortable, but didn't deny it and Pam's smirk widened into a grin.

"In light of that this might sound a little trite," Bill continued after a moment, "but I couldn't let you die, not after all you've done for Jessica."

Pam looked over at the younger vampire and her expression sobered, "Thank you," she said seriously, "I owe you everything," she added with a meaningful look as she rested a hand on Eric's arm.

Jessica shrugged a shoulder, looking a little self-conscious, "You'd do the same for me," she said, before biting her lip as she realised what she'd said.

Pam looked at her steadily, "I would."

Jessica beamed.

Behind them, Sookie cleared her throat, "Not to ruin the moment-"

"Why break the habit of a lifetime?" Pam muttered under her breath.

"-but you should probably be getting back before anyone notices that you're missing," she finished.

Bill and Jessica immediately began to bundle the whimpering Sarah out of the cubby hole, Sookie followed them out.

Once they'd disappeared, Pam looked up at Eric who had barely taken his eyes off her since she'd healed. "So, what now?" she asked, trying to hide an amused smile.

"Oh, I have a few ideas," Eric assured her as he leaned in for a lingering kiss.

...

 **A/N: So, according to Google translate Eric & Pam's conversation is-**

" _Välkommen tillbaka_ _min kärlek_ " = "Welcome back my love"

" _Jag_ _tror att du_ _är skyldig mig_ _en kyss_ " = "I believe you owe me a kiss"

" _Hur kunde jag glömma_?" = "How could I forget?"


	19. Epilogue

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this. Thank you, once again, for all the kind reviews, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like this last little bit and please remember to send any prompts through - they are always most welcome :)**

 _ **Epilogue**_

A few weeks later, the two vampires were comfortably settled back in their own home and Pam was sitting on the couch, leafing through a magazine. A familiar voice on the TV caught her attention and she looked up.

She snorted with amusement as her suspicions were confirmed and she sat up to watch, setting the magazine aside as she did so.

"This is just embarrassing," Pam said flatly, barely glancing up as Eric entered the room.

Eric glanced at the TV screen and smirked, "And to think that could have been you…" he teased, taking a seat beside her on the couch.

Pam pulled a face, but allowed him to pull her into his lap as she continued to watch Bill taut 'New Blood.'

"The least he could have done is share some screen time with Jessica," she added, still watching the screen.

"At least she'd be worth looking at," Eric agreed.

The two vampires shared an amused grin as they continued watching to infomercial; Pam rolled her eyes at something Bill said, missing Eric's sidelong glance.

"Well, I did warn you that the TV is mostly rubbish," he commented after a moment, feigning nonchalance.

Pam shot him a sideways look of her own and shrugged a shoulder, feigning indifference, "There was nothing else to do."

"I'm sure I could think of something," Eric remarked casually.

Pam suppressed a smirk, "Is that so?"

Eric tightened his hold on her, "Definitely."

Still feigning indifference, Pam pretended to brush some lint off his shoulder, "What did you have in mind?" she asked, catching his eye.

Eric raised an eyebrow and she grinned, "Mr. Northman, are you trying to seduce me?"

"I'm not trying, I'm succeeding," he informed her with a grin of his own.

Pam raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"

An uncharacteristic squeal escaped from Pam as Eric stood up, sweeping her into his arms as he did so.

"Yes," he said simply as he started to carry her out of the room.

Pam eyed him with affectionate amusement, "I have one thing to say you."

"You surrender?" Eric suggested and Pam laughed.

"No," she said with a grin, "catch me!" she challenged, leaping from his arms and disappearing at vampire speed.

"Tease!" he called after her.

Pam's only response was another peal of laughter and Eric took off at vampire speed after her.


End file.
